Carrie Ahearn works with Matthew Morris, Office of Temporary Disability Assistance in Albany to get a small business flood relief grant for the Penn Yan Diner. (Photo: TINA MACINTYRE-YEE staff photographer)

All the homes on Champlin Avenue have been marked as unsafe and prohibited from occupancy according to a sign posted by the Village of Penn Yan Code Enforcement. Officer. (Photo: TINA MACINTYRE-YEE staff photographer)

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Penn Yan residents and businesses continue the clean up from last weeks flooding on May 23, 2014. L-R Carrie Ahearn works with Matthew Morris, Office of Temporary Disability Assistance in Albany with getting a small business flood relief grant for the Penn Yan Diner.
(Photo:
TINA MACINTYRE-YEE/@tyee23/
,
staff photographer
)

Penn Yan – These streets were underwater last week, but home and business owners continuing the clean-up got a drop of good news Friday: those affected by last week's flooding in Yates County are eligible for the Yates County Disaster Assistance Recovery Program.

Speaking to about a dozen people at the Penn Yan Fire Department, Lt. Governor Robert Duffy said grants, not loans, will be made available to renters, homeowners, and small business owners. Renters and homeowners are eligible to get up to $10,000 and businesses with 25 or fewer full-time employees can receive up to $25,000, with checks arriving next week.

"Here's what we can tangibly do now," said Duffy, relaying that Gov. Andrew Cuomo recognizes a lot of people affected would not be able to pay back a loan.

Applications in person will be taken Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Penn Yan Fire Department on Elm Street.

People can also download an application online for the grant which must be postmarked by June 6, said Jerome Nagy, Senior Community Developer with the New York State Office of Community Renewal.

In addition, a mobile command center with the New York State Department of Financial Services will be at the Penn Yan Fire Hall on Tuesday from noon to 7 p.m. and all day Wednesday to help residents get insurance issues addressed. There will also be in Branchport on Thursday, for exact locations call the hotline at 1-800-342-3736.

Duffy also said that there has been, "a lot of damage to infrastructure," and the state is looking for FEMA to do an infrastructure assessment; currently Yates County did not meet the threshold to get FEMA assistance.

Today's announcement, said Penn Yan Mayor Leigh MacKerchar, is "a tremendous help for a lot of people."

Others will have to wait longer to find out what kind of assistance they will get.

The ARC of Yates County, a nonprofit agency serving adults and children with disabilities, is in full cleanup mode since last Friday's rain fall said Facility Director Gary Gibbs, who said they ended up with 25,910 square feet of mud. Since mid-afternoon a week earlier, a cleaning company has been working nonstop, he said.

"They weren't out to set the world record but to try and save the building," said Gibbs, "I've got over 160 people with disabilities with no programming space because of this."

Especially tough to swallow: In January, ARC finished a renovation in an area of the building to make it more open and friendly for the clients, said Gibbs.

Now the rooms have two feet of sheet rock cut off from flooding, torn up floors, and more work to be done before they can move back into the space. Gibbs said their clients and programming have been moved across the street into their administration building.

How long until they're back home? "Depending upon resources, if money was no object six weeks,"said Gibbs. "Without enough funding it could take six months to a year."